Today's Paper

Day of reckoning for Congress, TD

VISAKHAPATNAM: Hectic inter-party and intra-party consultations marked the eve of the Standing Committee election of the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation. Congress leaders met at a city hotel to finalise the names. The party is confident that it will win the four ward committees where it has the majority.

No names had been finalised till late in the evening though there were several front- runners. The names that were doing the rounds were that of Potu Nagamani, GV Ravi Raju, Ch. Potharaju, Koppula Venkatrao, Galla Srinivas, Dadi Satyanarayana, Tippala Nagi Reddy and Vurukuti Appa Rao. However, there is always room for surprise.

TDP leaders continued discussions till late in the evening on the choice of nominees. The party had majority in Ward Committees One and Four. TDP floor leader Nalluri Bhaskara Rao said the names had not been decided till late in the evening.

Possible scenarios

He said the TDP would also contest for the other committees as well. Some names under active consideration are Pasarla Vasanta Kalyani, Ommi Sanyasi Rao, Botta Neelima, B.S. Umamaheswara Rao, Gogineni Sambasiva Rao, P. Mutyala Naidu, Peela Suhasini, Palla Srinivasa Rao, Md.Rafi and Lella Koteswara Rao. However, the TDP leaders said the CPI(M) had not made its stand clear on the election. With the CPI staking its claim to the Ward Committee Six, if independents go with the Congress and the CPI(M) supports the TDP, it will result in a tie. The TDP expects that Ward Committees Two and Six might witness a lottery. CPI city secretary Ch. Raghavendra Rao met MLA T. Gurumurthy Reddy and Deputy Mayor K. Dorabbai and conveyed the party’s desire to have its lone corporator A.J. Stalin as the standing committee member. The CPI was not inclined to accept the offer made that they take it next year. A decision on whether to attend the election or abstain will be taken on Friday.

The election will be held in the six wards separately. Officials say if the election could not take place for any committee for any reason, it will be held again within a week giving a notice of three clear days. In case of a tie, it will be decided by lottery.